<div style="margin-left:0%; margin-right:0%">
<div class="title">
<span class=large>THE BOOK OF ALMA</span><br/> THE SON OF ALMA
</div>
<div class="subtitle">
CHAPTER 4
</div>
<div class="summary">
Alma baptizes thousands of converts—Iniquity enters the Church, and the Church’s progress is hindered—Nephihah is appointed chief judge—Alma, as high priest, devotes himself to the ministry.  Between 86 and 83 <span class='small'>B.C.</span>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="1"></a>
<div id="alma/4/1" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;1 <span class='smallcaps'>
Now</span> it came to pass in the *sixth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, there were no contentions nor wars in the <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/1a" mark="a" type="A" title="Omni 1: 12 (12-19).">land</a> of Zarahemla;
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="2"></a>
<div id="alma/4/2" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;2 
But the people were afflicted, yea, greatly afflicted for the loss of their brethren, and also for the <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/2a" mark="a" type="A" title="Alma 2: 19; Alma 3: 1 (1-2, 26).">loss</a> of their flocks and herds, and also for the loss of their fields of grain, which were trodden under foot and destroyed by the Lamanites.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="3"></a>
<div id="alma/4/3" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;3 
And so great were their afflictions that every soul had cause to mourn; and they believed that it was the judgments of God sent upon them because of their wickedness and their abominations; therefore they were <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/3a" mark="a" type="A" title="1 Cor. 15: 34 (33-34).">awakened</a> to a remembrance of their duty.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="4"></a>
<div id="alma/4/4" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;4 
And they began to establish the <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/4a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Church Organization.">church</a> more fully; yea, and many were <sup>b</sup><a href="alma/4/4b" mark="b" type="A" title="Mosiah 18: 10 (10-17).">baptized</a> in the <sup>c</sup><a href="alma/4/4c" mark="c" type="A" title="Alma 3: 3; Alma 6: 7.">waters</a> of Sidon and were joined to the church of God; yea, they were baptized by the hand of Alma, who had been consecrated the <sup>d</sup><a href="alma/4/4d" mark="d" type="C" title="Mosiah 29: 42; TG High Priest.">high</a> priest over the people of the church, by the hand of his father Alma.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="5"></a>
<div id="alma/4/5" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;5 
And it came to pass in the *seventh year of the reign of the judges there were about three thousand five hundred souls that united themselves to the <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/5a" mark="a" type="A" title="Mosiah 25: 22 (18-23); 3 Ne. 26: 21.">church</a> of God and were baptized.  And thus ended the seventh year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi; and there was continual peace in all that time.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="6"></a>
<div id="alma/4/6" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;6 
And it came to pass in the *eighth year of the reign of the judges, that the people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/6a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Riches.">riches</a>, and their <sup>b</sup><a href="alma/4/6b" mark="b" type="A" title="Alma 1: 29.">fine</a> silks, and their fine-twined linen, and because of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver, and all manner of precious things, which they had obtained by their <sup>c</sup><a href="alma/4/6c" mark="c" type="B" title="TG Industry.">industry</a>; and in all these things were they lifted up in the pride of their eyes, for they began to wear very costly <sup>d</sup><a href="alma/4/6d" mark="d" type="B" title="TG Apparel.">apparel</a>.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="7"></a>
<div id="alma/4/7" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;7 
Now this was the cause of much affliction to Alma, yea, and to many of the people whom Alma had consecrated to be <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/7a" mark="a" type="C" title="Mosiah 6: 3; TG Teacher.">teachers</a>, and <sup>b</sup><a href="alma/4/7b" mark="b" type="B" title="TG Church Organization.">priests</a>, and <sup>c</sup><a href="alma/4/7c" mark="c" type="C" title="Alma 4: 16; TG Elder.">elders</a> over the church; yea, many of them were sorely grieved for the wickedness which they saw had begun to be among their people.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="8"></a>
<div id="alma/4/8" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;8 
For they saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/8a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Pride; TG Vanity; TG Worldliness.">hearts</a> upon riches and upon the vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did <sup>b</sup><a href="alma/4/8b" mark="b" type="A" title="Alma 1: 21.">not</a> believe according to their own will and pleasure.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="9"></a>
<div id="alma/4/9" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;9 
And thus, in this eighth year of the reign of the judges, there began to be great <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/9a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Contention.">contentions</a> among the people of the church; yea, there were <sup>b</sup><a href="alma/4/9b" mark="b" type="B" title="TG Envy.">envyings</a>, and <sup>c</sup><a href="alma/4/9c" mark="c" type="C" title="Alma 16: 18; TG Strife.">strife</a>, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="10"></a>
<div id="alma/4/10" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;10 
And thus ended the eighth year of the reign of the judges; and the wickedness of the church was a great <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/10a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Stumblingblock.">stumbling</a>-block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="11"></a>
<div id="alma/4/11" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;11 
And it came to pass in the *commencement of the ninth year, Alma saw the wickedness of the church, and he saw also that the <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/11a" mark="a" type="C" title="2 Sam. 12: 14; Alma 39: 11; TG Example.">example</a> of the church began to lead those who were unbelievers on from one piece of iniquity to another, thus bringing on the destruction of the people.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="12"></a>
<div id="alma/4/12" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;12 
Yea, he saw great inequality among the people, some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others, turning their backs upon the <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/12a" mark="a" type="A" title="Isa. 3: 14; Ezek. 22: 12 (6-13); Amos 3: 10; Jacob 2: 17.">needy</a> and the naked and those who were <sup>b</sup><a href="alma/4/12b" mark="b" type="A" title="Mosiah 4: 26.">hungry</a>, and those who were athirst, and those who were sick and afflicted.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="13"></a>
<div id="alma/4/13" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;13 
Now this was a great cause for lamentations among the people, while others were abasing themselves, succoring those who stood in need of their succor, such as imparting their substance to the <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/13a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Almsgiving.">poor</a> and the needy, feeding the hungry, and suffering all manner of <sup>b</sup><a href="alma/4/13b" mark="b" type="B" title="TG Affliction.">afflictions</a>, for Christ’s <sup>c</sup><a href="alma/4/13c" mark="c" type="A" title="2 Cor. 12: 10.">sake</a>, who should come according to the spirit of prophecy;
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="14"></a>
<div id="alma/4/14" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;14 
Looking forward to that day, thus <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/14a" mark="a" type="A" title="Mosiah 4: 12; Alma 5: 26 (26-35); D&C 20: 32 (31-34).">retaining</a> a <sup>b</sup><a href="alma/4/14b" mark="b" type="B" title="TG Justification.">remission</a> of their sins; being filled with great <sup>c</sup><a href="alma/4/14c" mark="c" type="B" title="TG Joy.">joy</a> because of the resurrection of the dead, according to the will and power and <sup>d</sup><a href="alma/4/14d" mark="d" type="B" title="TG Deliverance.">deliverance</a> of Jesus Christ from the bands of death.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="15"></a>
<div id="alma/4/15" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;15 
And now it came to pass that Alma, having seen the afflictions of the humble followers of God, and the persecutions which were heaped upon them by the remainder of his people, and seeing all their <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/15a" mark="a" type="A" title="2 Cor. 8: 14; D&C 49: 20.">inequality</a>, began to be very sorrowful; nevertheless the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="16"></a>
<div id="alma/4/16" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;16 
And he selected a wise man who was among the <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/16a" mark="a" type="A" title="Alma 4: 7.">elders</a> of the church, and gave him power according to the <sup>b</sup><a href="alma/4/16b" mark="b" type="A" title="Alma 2: 3 (3-7); Alma 50: 39.">voice</a> of the people, that he might have power to enact <sup>c</sup><a href="alma/4/16c" mark="c" type="A" title="Alma 1: 1 (1, 14, 18).">laws</a> according to the laws which had been given, and to put them in force according to the wickedness and the crimes of the people.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="17"></a>
<div id="alma/4/17" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;17 
Now this man’s name was <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/17a" mark="a" type="A" title="Alma 27: 20.">Nephihah</a>, and he was appointed <sup>b</sup><a href="alma/4/17b" mark="b" type="A" title="Alma 30: 29; Alma 50: 37.">chief</a> judge; and he sat in the judgment-seat to judge and to govern the people.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="18"></a>
<div id="alma/4/18" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;18 
Now Alma did not grant unto him the office of being <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/18a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG High Priest.">high</a> priest over the church, but he retained the office of high priest unto himself; but he delivered the judgment-seat unto <sup>b</sup><a href="alma/4/18b" mark="b" type="A" title="Alma 7: 2.">Nephihah</a>.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="19"></a>
<div id="alma/4/19" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;19 
And this he did that he <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/19a" mark="a" type="A" title="Alma 7: 1.">himself</a> might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might <sup>b</sup><a href="alma/4/19b" mark="b" type="A" title="Alma 5: 1.">preach</a> the <sup>c</sup><a href="alma/4/19c" mark="c" type="A" title="Alma 31: 5; D&C 11: 2.">word</a> of God unto them, to <sup>d</sup><a href="alma/4/19d" mark="d" type="A" title="Enos 1: 23.">stir</a> them up in <sup>e</sup><a href="alma/4/19e" mark="e" type="A" title="2 Chr. 35: 6; Alma 16: 16; D&C 108: 7.">remembrance</a> of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure <sup>f</sup><a href="alma/4/19f" mark="f" type="B" title="TG Testimony.">testimony</a> against them.
</div>
</div>
<div class="verse"><a name="20"></a>
<div id="alma/4/20" onclick='return toggleMarked(event, this)'>
&nbsp;&nbsp;20 
And thus in the commencement of the ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, Alma delivered up the judgment-seat to <sup>a</sup><a href="alma/4/20a" mark="a" type="A" title="Alma 8: 12.">Nephihah</a>, and confined himself wholly to the <sup>b</sup><a href="alma/4/20b" mark="b" type="A" title="Mosiah 29: 42; Alma 5: 3 (3, 44, 49).">high</a> priesthood of the holy order of God, to the <sup>c</sup><a href="alma/4/20c" mark="c" type="B" title="TG Preaching.">testimony</a> of the word, according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy.
</div>
</div>
<div class="note"><span class='smallcaps'>
* verse 1 (86 <span class='small'>B.C.</span>); Verse 5 (85 <span class='small'>B.C.</span>); Verse 6 (84 <span class='small'>B.C.</span>); Verse 11 (83 <span class='small'>B.C.</span>).</span>
</div>
